The New York State Pavilion has gone through a transformation in the last few years, with a fresh coat of paint and a projected light show being the latest improvements.
On Thursday at 8 p.m., the documentary “Modern Ruin,” which recounts the pavilion’s history, will screen next to the 52-year-old structure on the festival lawn before a one-night-only light show illuminates it.
The pavilion, consisting of the Tent of Tomorrow, the Observation Towers and Theaterama and located at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, was constructed for the 1964-65 World’s Fair and fell into disarray after the festival.
Matthew Silva, a high school teacher from Long Island, became fascinated with the structures when his family took trips to Whitestone and Middle Village to visit family. Modern Ruin was his first attempt at filmmaking and allowed him to explore the construction and use of the pavilion in-depth.
The city has shown a renewed interest in the structures in recent years. In 2013, the Parks Department announced a $73 million restoration project that would include new landscaped paths and event spaces. In July 2014, $5.8 million from the city budget was allocated to the project.
Last year, the steel framework of the Tent of Tomorrow was painted yellow.
Guerrilla Lighting and the National Trust for Historic Preservation created the light show and Silva said he’s not sure what to expect.
“We’ve never seen anything like it, so it should be fun,” he said.
Though the screening is scheduled for outdoors it may move to the Queens Theatre due to wind, he added.
Daily News first reported the story.
Watch a video of a test lighting conducted by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz last year:
Second NYS Pavilion Test Lighting – 3.24.15 from Matthew Silva on Vimeo.
